The simple but characteristically Romanesque style is rooted in a historically customary preference for medieval forms, especially in an ecclesiastical context. It may also have been perceived as a national expression, as was customary at that time. Romanesque arcades supported by columns with block capitals were to be found in both the stave churches and storehouse porticoes in the Østland valleys, so it was easy to resort to this kind of form if one wanted to be patriotic. Whether such patriotic thoughts really lay at the heart of the choice of style in this case is not documented in the source material.